International News Bytes from NSN – TVET, Apprenticeships and more

One of our endeavours has to been to keep our audience updated on news and happening in the skills space. Here’s our first edition of International News covering a cross section of initiatives, events and more across the globe.  These News Bytes curated and adapted from various sources* with the sole objective of keeping our readers informed about the issues and solutions from the global perspective.

Vocational Training: U.S

1. Shoaf, who is running for the Florida House of Representatives seat for District 7 believes vocational training and technological infrastructure upgrades, especially high-speed internet are necessary tools for the rural communities and wants to provide funding for the same.
2. According to Gallup, vocational education can have more positive outcomes than an associate degree education with respect to workplace outcomes and overall satisfaction. More postsecondary institutions are grappling with meeting 21st century workforce needs. In this context , a vocational school program enables students to take more specialized courses in their field of study.

https://www.gallup.com/home.aspx

3. The Governor’s Office of Economic Development, in conjunction with diesel industry partners and education leaders, announced the expansion of the Utah Diesel Technician Pathways Program to Davis and Tooele counties. The pathways initiative was developed to create more opportunities for Utah students by providing a direct route from high school and college into the workforce.

Europe

More than half of those with a vocational training background benefited financially from opting for advanced professional education equivalent to a tertiary education qualification according to a survey by the Federal Statistical Office in Switzerland.

Africa

1. More than eighty Ghanaian individuals would, this year, benefit from the Dutch Government’s “Orange Knowledge Programme” formerly the “Netherlands Scholarship Programme” which targets the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and supports Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), which most countries are leveraging on to promote their development agenda.
2. Morocco has increased scholarships and educational and administrative staff at vocational training centres.

Middle East

The National Forum for Supporting Vocational Education was held in Kuwait. The forum welcomed different government and private entities as well as NGOs, including experts from Oman, for a two-day workshop to discuss vocational education in Kuwait, and the ways in which they can work together to support it and allow it to thrive.

Apprenticeship News

UK

Ian Petty says apprenticeships have a unique value proposition. They give people the opportunity to learn new skills while earning a wage.Apprenticeships should appeal to many young people, but they are not as popular as they should be. In the UK, the vocational route only attracts 30 per cent of students, whereas across other OECD countries the average is 50 per cent.This is partly the result of long-term cultural issues.

2. The government is launching a new campaign to promote apprenticeships among young people, parents and employers, whilst confirming that it will write to the largest school trusts who have not published information on their website about how they will ensure providers of vocational education are able talk to pupils in their schools.

3.The Institute of Coding is working with JP Morgan on a new digital degree apprenticeship programme, designed to enable the bank’s experienced employees to gain a master’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Bath while they work.

4. Gateshead Health Foundation Trust is working in partnership with Gateshead College to roll out an apprenticeship scheme to boost healthcare skills within the workforce.

U.S

The German ambassador to the U.S.,toured the Advanced Technology Center at Central Piedmont Community College. During the tour, CPCC showed off its apprenticeship program, which trains American students to work for German companies operating in Charlotte.

Europe

• Professor Harald Walzl who leads the mechanical workshops and specialist groups in the field of business and engineering at HTL Dornbirn, a vocational school in Austria has introduced the school to Swiss 3D printer developer and manufacturer Sintratec and its selective laser sintering (SLS) 3D printing technology.He says there is a great demand for their graduates on the job market because of their practical focus. The broad technical skills of their students form a solid basis.
• With the fastest-falling population in the world, Bulgaria is increasingly turning to apprenticeship schemes to counter labour shortages that are threatening to become dramatic.

Asia

1. Employers and workers in technical vocational education and training (TVET) will play a larger role in the Philippines as the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) moves to strengthen its partnership with them for a more effective and efficient implementation of its training programs and other services.
2. In Myanmar, State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi during her tour to Chin State urged to encourage vocational education and urge State Government to meet with locals often.
3. According to the Directorate of Vocational Education and Training in Vietnam, strengthening co-operation between vocational schools and businesses is key to meeting the demand for high quality labour
4. The Education Ministry (MOE) in Malaysia is taking proactive measures for its vocational college programmes to be of quality while at the same time ensuring the ‘marketability’ of its students.